Automatic fire-alarm device



APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1920.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

UNITED. STAKE};

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD clcarrna or rnosrnn, MINNESOTA;

AUTOMATIC FIRE-ALARM DEVICE.

To all within it mag concern:

Be it knownthat I, EDWARD C. CAPPER, a citizcnof the United States, and a resident oi Prosper, in the county of Fillmore and State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new and usettul Automatic Fire-Alarm Device, oi? which the tollowing is aspecification. p I

The object of my invention'is to provide an automatic fire alarm device of simple, durable and inexpensive construction. v

More particularly. it is my object to provide in an electric circuit used for fire alarm piu'p oses, a circuit making member including a resilient member arranged to contact with aneasily melted non-conductor and adapted when said non-conductor is melted by heat to move to position formaking a contact and closing a circuit through an alarm device. l v I IV ith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, ar-

- raugemcnt and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects con- 7 templated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in, the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of my automatic fire alarm device in a building.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of one'of the contact making members in the circuit.

Fig. 3 shows a detail, sectional view of one of the contact making devices.

' Fig. ttSllOWS a perspective view of the spring forming part of the contact making device.

Fig. 5 shows a top or plan view of the contact making device; and

Fig. 6 shows a detail view of the device.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral. 10 to indicate Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921 Application filed January 2, 1920. Serial No, 349,043.

cuit between the wires 15 and 14, if fire should occur causing a certain degree of heat in the building, I have provided the following device. I y

A fiat spring 16 having substantially the shape of a U forms a contact making device.

Mounted in one arm of the spring is a; pair of insulating disks 17 and 18 each being provided with flanges for overlapping the arm of the contact making device 16, as illustrated in Fig. 3. I I

Extending through theinsulating disks 17 and 18, which have screw-threaded openings, is the screw-threaded portion 19 of a bolt 20 having the head 21 provided with a pro ecting point 22. y

Mounted on the screw-threaded portion 19 on opposite sides of the disks 17 and 18 are nuts 23 and 24:. The wire 14 is connected with the bolt 20 bymeans of another nut 25 which may be screwed on said bolt for gripping said wire between the nuts 25 and 23, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 5.

The length of the bolt 20 and the normal position'of the resilient contact making device 16 are such that the opposite arm of the contact making device tends to yieldingly engage the point 22. In installing the device however, a block 26 of insulating material which melts at a relatively low temperature, may be inserted between the head 21 of the bolt 20 and the adjacent arm of the contact making device 16. The block 26 may be pressed against the head of the bolt, so that the point 22 will enter said block and prevent its accidental displacement by vibra tion or the like.

I sometimes use parafiin or paraflin and sugar, or other suitable material.

The arm of the contact making device, opposite the arm which supports the disks 17 and 18 has cut in its end a strong tongue 27, which is sprung slightly outwardly so that the wire 15 may be readily inserted between the tongue 27 and the arm of the contact makin device, and will be held by the spring of sucfi tongue 27, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the practical use of my improved automatic alarm device as many of the contact making devices may be employed as is desired, to provide sufficient of said devices to insure the making of a contact whenever a fire starts in any part of the building.

If fire should start, anywhere in the building it will be seen that one of the blocks :26 will be melted whereby the spring of the arms of the contact making device 16 is such that the arm which supports the wire 15 will be drawn toward and engage the point 22, thereby closing a circuit through the source of electrical energy 11, the wire 15, the contact making device 16 and the bolt 20, the wire 14, the alarm device 13 and the wire 12.

It will be seen that if the alarm device is a bell as shown, it will continue to ring as long as the circuit is not broken and the source of energy 11 continues active.

My contact making device is of very simple and inexpensive construction, and can be readily and easily replaced if it should be worn or injured in any way.

Ordinarily all that is necessary to again set the device ready for use after it has once been operated automatically by the melting of the block 26, is to insert another block 26 in place between the bolt head 21 and the adjacent arm of the contact making device 16.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts 01": my improved structure without de parting from the essential features and purposes of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a substantially U-shaped spring; a bolt mounted in one arm thereof and insulated therefrom; a block of material having a relatively low melting point arranged between said bolt and the other arm of said spring, said spring being arranged to normally engage said bolt when said block is removed, one arm of said spring having a resilient tongue cut therefrom, whereby a wire may be gripped between said tongue and the body of said resilient sprin 2. In a device of the class described, a substantially U-shaped spring; a bolt mounted in one arm thereof, and insulated from said spring; said bolt having a head pro- Y vided with a member arranged adjacent to the other arm of said spring, and adapted to be yieldingly engaged thereby; means for connecting a wire with said other arm of the spring; and a block of insulating material having a low melting point arranged between the bolt head and the last described arm of said spring for yieldingly holding the spring out of engagement with said bolthead.

Des Moines, Iowa, November 15, 1919.

.EDWVARD G. GAPPER. 

